Football: Charles Haley, the only player in the NFL to win five Super Bowl rings, said he will retire before the start of the Dallas Cowboys' season because of back injuries. But owner Jerry Jones refused to confirm Haley's decision. "We have not had a meeting," Jones said Tuesday.

The conversation about if Brian Urlacher would reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame likely shifted to when after the 2010 season. Now it's worth wondering if there is a spot for Urlacher in Canton, Ohio, as a first-ballot inductee come 2018, when he becomes eligible along with another middle linebacker who is only waiting to be fitted for a gold jacket - Ray Lewis. It wasn't that 2010 was Urlacher's best season, but at 32 he played at an elite level a year after...

Round Player Pos School 1 (26) Dana Stubblefield DE Kansas 1 (27) Todd Kelly DE Tennessee 2 (48) Adrian Hardy DB NW Lousiana - Comment: Only two years ago, these guys lined up with Charles Haley, Tim Harris and Pierce Holt on defense. Now they have none of them, with low first-rounders like Ted Washington, Keith DeLong, Stubblefield and Kelly expected to replace them. The acquisition of free agent S Tim McDonald from Phoenix will help, but the offseason has been no friend to the 49ers.

While many NFL fans are concerned about the quality of play once the lockout is lifted, former Cowboys and 49ers defensive end Charles Haley already has noticed a shift in the overall way the game is played since he starred from 1986-99. “The NFL has changed from a run-to-pass to a pass-to-run (game). So pass-rushers are going to be at a premium. If you can rush the passer, you can make a lot of money,” said Haley, who earned five Super Bowl rings. “Quarterbacks...

While many NFL fans are concerned about the quality of play once the lockout is lifted, former Cowboys and 49ers defensive end Charles Haley already has noticed a shift in the overall way the game is played since he starred from 1986-99. “The NFL has changed from a run-to-pass to a pass-to-run (game). So pass-rushers are going to be at a premium. If you can rush the passer, you can make a lot of money,” said Haley, who earned five Super Bowl rings. “Quarterbacks...

Football: Charles Haley, the only player in the NFL to win five Super Bowl rings, said he will retire before the start of the Dallas Cowboys' season because of back injuries. But owner Jerry Jones refused to confirm Haley's decision. "We have not had a meeting," Jones said Tuesday.

It's not easy to get a handle on Charles Haley. Offensive linemen will tell you that. All season long, the 49ers` pass-rusher has slipped through their hands like mercury. Is he a linebacker? A defensive lineman? Where will he line up? How can he be blocked? Reporters and some of his teammates also will tell you that Haley is not easily grasped or explained. Is he an articulate charmer? A sullen bully? Will he react to an advance with a thoughtful, funny response or with an...

Richard Dent was a good idea. Dave Wannstedt tried to turn back the clock for a reason. When all he saw was creaky springs, he fast-forwarded to the future. One big play. That's all Wannstedt was looking for. That's all any coach looks for. That's all any coach needs these days in the NFL. One, maybe two, big plays on defense can change the course of games, seasons, destinies, history itself. One big play from one big player. On the TV highlights, you saw Reggie...

Charles Haley wasn't talking. He rarely does. "I ain't giving interviews," he said. Fortunately, his personal mentor, his emotional stabilizer, his gridiron guru, was available for consultation. "Everybody looks at the other side of him, but that doesn't matter; that shouldn't matter," Ronnie Lott said of his tempestuous former teammate, Charles Haley. "Jimmy Johnson is not worried about that. He said, `Hey, I just want him to show up on Sunday and I want him to...

Round Player Pos School 1 (26) Dana Stubblefield DE Kansas 1 (27) Todd Kelly DE Tennessee 2 (48) Adrian Hardy DB NW Lousiana - Comment: Only two years ago, these guys lined up with Charles Haley, Tim Harris and Pierce Holt on defense. Now they have none of them, with low first-rounders like Ted Washington, Keith DeLong, Stubblefield and Kelly expected to replace them. The acquisition of free agent S Tim McDonald from Phoenix will help, but the offseason has been no friend to the 49ers.

Richard Dent was a good idea. Dave Wannstedt tried to turn back the clock for a reason. When all he saw was creaky springs, he fast-forwarded to the future. One big play. That's all Wannstedt was looking for. That's all any coach looks for. That's all any coach needs these days in the NFL. One, maybe two, big plays on defense can change the course of games, seasons, destinies, history itself. One big play from one big player. On the TV highlights, you saw Reggie...

Charles Haley wasn't talking. He rarely does. "I ain't giving interviews," he said. Fortunately, his personal mentor, his emotional stabilizer, his gridiron guru, was available for consultation. "Everybody looks at the other side of him, but that doesn't matter; that shouldn't matter," Ronnie Lott said of his tempestuous former teammate, Charles Haley. "Jimmy Johnson is not worried about that. He said, `Hey, I just want him to show up on Sunday and I want him to...

The San Francisco 49ers, proud owners of the NFC West, interrupted last season for this special message: Without Joe Montana, they could be had. It was the invitation the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams had awaited for a decade. Without Joe, San Francisco was so-so. True, by the end of the season, the 49ers were as formidable as anyone. With Steve Bono looking like No. 16, the 49ers won their final six games, but missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years.

The NFC championship game Sunday is dedicated to Ricky Watters. Both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers will try to walk on Watters. With Candlestick Puddle under siege all week from rain, an extra dimension is thrown into a matchup already full of intrigue. The Cowboys arrive young but cocky, led by swaggering coach Jimmy Johnson, accustomed to national championship games from his days at the University of Miami. "I really don't understand all the fuss," Dallas quarterback...

The NFC championship game Sunday is dedicated to Ricky Watters. Both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers will try to walk on Watters. With Candlestick Puddle under siege all week from rain, an extra dimension is thrown into a matchup already full of intrigue. The Cowboys arrive young but cocky, led by swaggering coach Jimmy Johnson, accustomed to national championship games from his days at the University of Miami. "I really don't understand all the fuss," Dallas quarterback...

The San Francisco 49ers, proud owners of the NFC West, interrupted last season for this special message: Without Joe Montana, they could be had. It was the invitation the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams had awaited for a decade. Without Joe, San Francisco was so-so. True, by the end of the season, the 49ers were as formidable as anyone. With Steve Bono looking like No. 16, the 49ers won their final six games, but missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years.

Four-team divisions are better, they say. The NFC West and AFC Central were the only divisions boasting three teams that won at least 10 games. Five of the six made the playoffs. Only the New Orleans Saints stayed home. The Saints would like to stay home again this year for about three playoff games, including Super Bowl XXIV in their Superdome. If they didn`t have to beat out the 49ers and Rams in their division, they might be favored to do it. "In some other divisions, teams...

It's not easy to get a handle on Charles Haley. Offensive linemen will tell you that. All season long, the 49ers` pass-rusher has slipped through their hands like mercury. Is he a linebacker? A defensive lineman? Where will he line up? How can he be blocked? Reporters and some of his teammates also will tell you that Haley is not easily grasped or explained. Is he an articulate charmer? A sullen bully? Will he react to an advance with a thoughtful, funny response or with an...

The conversation about if Brian Urlacher would reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame likely shifted to when after the 2010 season. Now it's worth wondering if there is a spot for Urlacher in Canton, Ohio, as a first-ballot inductee come 2018, when he becomes eligible along with another middle linebacker who is only waiting to be fitted for a gold jacket - Ray Lewis. It wasn't that 2010 was Urlacher's best season, but at 32 he played at an elite level a year after...

Four-team divisions are better, they say. The NFC West and AFC Central were the only divisions boasting three teams that won at least 10 games. Five of the six made the playoffs. Only the New Orleans Saints stayed home. The Saints would like to stay home again this year for about three playoff games, including Super Bowl XXIV in their Superdome. If they didn`t have to beat out the 49ers and Rams in their division, they might be favored to do it. "In some other divisions, teams...